For all those new boomers, and for the rest of us a year older, its that time where we answer the question for a newbie player "If I want to play an adventure game, what would you recommend".

Playability is the key. Your oldie but completely impossible to get going on a modern machine favourite game might therefore not make the list, but Gog-ness might mean it does. Variety might dictate that not every Myst clone should be included, but is too much Myst really enough??

In the end its up to you - if you think a game you have played is worth recommending to someone else to play, put it on your list. But only if its an adventure game. We know what they are (Quake no - does anyone but me remebmer Quake - Monkey Island yes) and there is some latitude for those fuzzy round the edges games that are hard to define Portal 2).

There are some rules though, and these are they:

1. Games in our Hall of Fame are ineligible, on the basis that we know they are worth playing else why would they be in there. Votes for those games won't be counted. Those games are:

(being ineligible means you can spread your choices more widely, and we will list the Hall of Fame games alongside this years results when finished).

2. You can recommend a maximum of 20 games. You can choose to recommend less.3. You cannot recommend a series. If you want to recommend all the Tex Murphy games, that will take 5 seperate recommendations, one for each game.4. Episodic adventures will be counted as one game, regardless of where they are up to in the series. 5. Uru and its add ons will be counted as one game.6. BadMojo and the Redux version are one game.7. Directors cuts and Special Releases will be counted as the same game.8. Adventure games only (Dark Side games and Casual games get their own lists).9. PC games please (although if you sneak a console game in I won't tell)10. Isabelle counts double (not really )

If at all possible, please list in alphabetical order - it makes counting so much easier. In doing so, ignore "the" (so The Dark Eye would be under "D" for Dark)

The thread stays open for about 3 weeks, and I will post updates as we go. Also, avoid editing your lists after posting because Chief and I count as we go, and may miss a change.

Ha, I must have a sixth sense about these lists, as I tend to come back just in time for them after long hiatuses.

I've also noticed that they are getting harder and harder each year. There are just too many good games fighting to be on it, even with the Hall of Fame exclusions. I had to recommend only one Runaway this time, so I went with the first, even though the second is my favorite. Always better to start at the beginning.

Agatha Christie: And Then There Were NoneGabriel Knight: Sins of the FatherGabriel Knight: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the DamnedJack The RipperNancy Drew: Danger on Deception IslandNancy Drew: The Secret of Shadow RanchNancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly AcademyNiBiRuPost MortemShiversShivers 2Still LifeTex Murphy: Under A Killing MoonTex Murphy: Pandora DirectiveTex Murphy: Overseer

AnacapriAnd then there were noneAtlantis 3AuraBroken Sword: the shadow of the templarsByzantine, the BetrayalCallahan's Crosstime SaloonDiscworld 2Discworld NoirEdna & Harvey: the breakoutFilmmakerLast Half Of Darkness: Society of the Serpent MoonMorpheusOverclockedPandora DirectiveSacred Rings (Aura 2)ScratchesSentinelShiversTitanic: adventure out of time

Hmm... as a spread of great games that are accessible to beginners, I'd go for:

AstroLoco: Worst ContactBladerunnerThe Book of Unwritten TalesBroken Sword 2: The Smoking MirrorCevilleCurse of Monkey IslandThe DigDiscworld NoirGemini RueIndiana Jones and the Last CrusadeJolly RoverJourney to the MoonLost HorizonPrimordiaPuzzle BotsRunaway: A Twist of FateSam and Max Season OneSecret of Monkey IslandSpace MadnessTales of Monkey Island Season One

and...

... oh wait, that's 20 titles.

Some great titles didn't quite make it but they'll be on other people's lists! Now alphabetised.